Arsenal were one of the big risers in a study researching brand value of Europe's top football clubs. After finishing runners up in the Premier League, the Gunners have become one of the most attractive destinations for players.
Having been outsiders to even finish in the top four this season, Mikel Arteta's youthful, brave and dynamic side shocked everyone to lead the table for most of the campaign. They were pipped to the title by Pep Guardiola's merciless Manchester City juggernaut but the strides made on the pitch were evident nevertheless.
It is something that has now crossed to the business side of the game, with Brand Finance releasing their findings for the 2022/23 season. According to new reseach, the Gunners leapt above by Tottenham and Chelsea in the standings and now have an enormous $940m (£756.7m) brand value.
The number, brought about via analysis into commercial, marketing, PR and brand look across the world, as is $21m (£16.9m) rise on last year's figure but beneifted from the major drops by their London rivals. Chelsea, for example, had a catastophic term and went from $991m to $893m whereas Spurs moved from $1.01bn to $931m.
For the Gunners, their highest point was 2018, the year after they were last in the Champions League, and has been on a steady decline since then but Arteta's appointment and the rebuilding job done has coincided with a rise that sees them at the best level since Arsenal Wenger's reign.
It bodes together to leave them in a strong position under Stan Kroenke, who has had increased success in recent years across his Sports and Entertainment franchise, and Arsenal are no different. The paper explains: "Arsenal FC (brand value up 14% to €906.28 million) is up two positions from 2022 and now ranks 8th.
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"Squad investments, (Arsenal FC signed Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City FC insummer 2022) strengthened on-pitch tactics, and Mikel Arteta’s effective leadership have all contributed to The Gunners’ strong season, their 3-1 win over Chelsea on May 3rd propelling them to the top of the Premier League.
"Although eventually beaten into a respectable second by Manchester City FC, Arsenal FC set the record forthe most days spent at the top of the league without winning it. Further, their status as the youngest squad in the league instils hope among key stakeholders for a promising future."
To show the impressive nature of this brand success, Arsenal have had the biggest brand increase out of any of the clubs in the top 50 globally. Their 14.3% rise in the Euros market is the largest on the record with €793m now coming in at €906m.
They also moved up a place to seventh in the rankings for Brand Strength Index, becoming the fourth highest placed English team on the list, behind both Manchester clubs and Liverpool. It is their Brand Enterprise Ranking that has changed the most, though.
Desribed as "a measure of the worth of thecompany’s core business, to all investors, regardless of how that company is financed", the metric takes into account league perception, stadium ownership, squad value, global reach and fan strength alongside club heritage. Due to the Premier League's continued dominance, that is a big boost but the other factors have also improved dramatically, too.
It also lines up with the financial boost for Arteta and Co this summer as they prepare to make the most of their success last season and attempt to maintain the lofty league position and align with newfound expectations.
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